Could the interview Chris Matthews called “the worst he’s ever had” have something to do with his decision to change the title of his most recent book before its paperback edition is released?
In 2007, the “Hardball” host went on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” to promote his book, “Life’s a Campaign: What Politics Has Taught Me About Friendship, Rivalry, Reputation, and Success.” Stewart immediately went on the offensive, calling its thesis a Machiavellian “recipe for sadness” and disagreeing vehemently with what the book’s title implies.
“If you treat life like a campaign … at the end of your life, do you give a concession speech?” asked Stewart. “Aren’t campaigns fundamentally contrivances?”
Matthews called it “a book interview from hell” at the time.
But lo and behold, the paperback edition of the book, which went on sale this week, dispenses with that title in favor of “The Hardball Handbook: How to Win at Life.” A note at the bottom of the cover indicates it was “previously published as ‘Life’s a Campaign.’”
Coincidence? Seemingly, according to a spokeswoman for his publisher, Random House.
“I don’t think that’s the reason,” she said when we asked about the Stewart interview. She said Matthews wanted to make it obvious the book “was drawing on his experiences on ‘Hardball’ and on what he’s learned.”
A spokeswoman for Matthews at MSNBC did not respond to a request for comment.
The Matthews-Stewart interview is below:
